Immortal
by PrettyPleaseWithSugarOnTop
Summary: His lover was possessive by nature, Alec knew. But how possessive Magnus could get was something that was going to come as a surprise. And the doubts Alec was having in himself and in their relationship? Not helping.
1. Chapter 1

Alec liked waking up next to Magnus.

The thing was, most of the time, he forgot. Sleeping next to the warlock always sent him into a dreamless and peaceful slumber. It was the kind of sleep that sent him spiralling into a secure, serene lull, the kind a shadowhunter rarely ever had when they slept. And so, when he woke up during the following mornings, it always took a few sleepy minutes before he could register his surroundings, and more importantly, his bedmate.

And what a pleasant surprise it was.

The thrill never faded whenever the gorgeous golden-green cat pupils came into focus in his bleary vision. Magnus was spooning him, an action that had initially started off foreign to him a few months ago, and the warlock's thin lips was curved into an amused smile.

''Awake, love?''

Alec sighed drowsily. ''I hope so.''

Magnus slowly straightened his lean form over Alec's prone one on the silk bed, cat smile steadily widening. ''Should I help wake you up then?''

Alec suppressed a shiver, his skin heating. ''I didn't know you liked morning sex.''

Magnus tutted, as if reprimanding a naughty child, dark spikes drooping over his forehead. ''When it comes to you, Alec, you should know that I like everything that involves ravishing you, be it midnight or morning. Or anytime, really.''

Alec, being Alec, flushed. ''Just shut up and kiss me already.''

Without waiting for Magnus's response he pulled his lover down, meeting the soft but firm lips with his own. The warlock reacted enthusiastically, slanting his mouth over Alec's passionately. The shadowhunter sighed into the deep kiss, and his breath inadvertently hitched when he felt long artistic fingers slipping under his crumpled shirt.

Magnus was unabashed, unhesitating and bold. That was one thing that Alec always noted about him during their make-out sessions. He could be as gentle as he wanted, but at the same time he was never shy. He always reached out for Alec without signs of embarrassed reluctance, and if Alec was uncomfortable he would have to point it out.

The thing was, when Magnus Bane caresses you boldly and wholly, who would dislike it?

Not Alec.

The eighteen year old responded eagerly, sending his tongue flickering over the side of Magnus's hot mouth. Magnus purred lowly, and the deep sound reverberated teasingly down Alec's long body. The immortal's adroit fingers danced casually over the smoothness of his toned abdomen beneath his shirt, only adding more to the heat.

And then the shrill sounds of a phone ringing penetrated the air.

Through a foggy sensual haze, Alec vaguely recognized the ringtone as his own, indicating that it was his phone. However, Magnus hadn't stopped kissing him, and it looked like he didn't intend to despite the incessant ringing.

''Magnus...'' Alec finally choked out, turning his head with reluctant difficulty from Magnus's skillful lips. ''My phone...''

Magnus continued kissing the corner of Alec's mouth, his eyes half-lidded by exotic ink lashes as he gazed intensely at his lover. ''What about it?''

The phone went on ringing from where it lay on the bedstand.

Alec's blue eyes squinted slightly as he tried to pull away from his partner's intoxicating kisses. ''Gotta pick up.''

''Aaaah.'' Magnus finally sighed dramatically, drawing away from Alec with feline grace. ''Go on then, you little tease.''

More disappointed than he would admit, Alec sat up stiffly -his joints seemed to have gone gooey from all the activity- and reached for his vibrating, wailing phone. He recognized the caller ID flashing on the illuminated screen immediately, stomach knitting.

It was his mother.

That always made him uncomfortable. It wasn't that she had completely objected to his relationship, but to say she approved was a far stretch.

''Hello?'' He murmured softly into the speaker, pressing the cool metal of the phone to his ear. ''Mom?''

''Honestly, Alexander, where are you?'' Maryse Lightwood snapped. There was a deep urgency in her voice that seemed to hint at something more than her son's absence last night.

''I'm... at Magnus's,'' he admitted. It was distracting, the way said warlock had currently picked up his hand and was absently fondling it. The shade of Magnus's gold dark skin contrasted steeply to his own pale hand. ''Why? Is something wrong?''

''Yes, Alexander,'' His mother's voice grew taut, as it always did at the blatant reminder that her son was involved with someone of the same gender. ''Isabelle is ill with fever. And you? Instead of spending time with her, you frolick about the night with that-''

''What happened to Isabelle?'' Alec tensed at once, cutting his mother off. Beside him, Magnus raised a thin dark brow. ''Is she okay?''

''No, she is not okay,'' replied Maryse tersely. ''If I were you, Alec, I would come back at once. Unless, of course, that little relationship of yours takes priority over your sister-''

''I'll be right over, Mum,'' Alec said, before hanging up and getting off the bed quickly to grab his black sweater from the stand. A lot of his belongings had somehow been moved unconsciously to Magnus's apartment, something which pleased him and made him nervous about at the same time.

Magnus remained sprawled on the bed, lounging about like a lazy cat. His night attire consisted of a pair of skinny jeans and a bright maroon nightshirt. It was already really subdued for his character, Alec thought.

''Family dispute?'' Magnus inquired casually, eyebrow still arched.

''Isabelle's sick,'' said Alec, rubbing his face. His black hair was too short to be truly messy, and currently it was about as disheveled as it could ever get. ''I've gotta get back to the Institute.''

''Ah.'' Magnus's cat eyes raked his face with a hint of something he did not understand. ''How surprising. It never occurred to me that she was even capable of falling ill.''

''What do you mean? Izzy might be tough, but she's no machine.''

''Can't argue with that.'' Magnus smiled gently. ''Come back soon, my love.''

* * *

''Mum!'' Alec tore through the long spacious hallway of the institute, the soles of his leather boots rubbing against the smooth marble floor. He turned into the medical wing and entered.

Maryse Lightwood's slender frame was seated calmly on a chair beside the bedridden form of her daughter. Isabelle seemed to be asleep, her eyes closed and her long hair a dark pool on the pillows. She was covered in a thick comforter, making the usually fearless girl look more like a child.

''Alec,'' said Maryse coldly, looking up at her son's entrance.

''Is she okay?'' The shadowhunter demanded, coming to a stop next to the bed. ''Was it demon poison? If it's serious, we can call Magnus-''

His mother glared at him through hard blue eyes. Many had mentioned before that her gaze was very similar to his own, including Jace. ''No, it is not demon poison. Does everything have to revolve around the High Warlock of Brooklyn?''

''Mum...'' Alec stiffened uneasily. ''I'm just trying to help.''

''No, you're trying to help by asking that warlock for help,'' Maryse snapped, standing up. Despite her anger she kept her voice down in consideration for her daughter. ''That's different. I've heard a lot of things, Alexander. Is there anything you can do now that doesn't actually involve asking the warlock for assistance?''

Alec didn't reply, because he didn't know how to. He knew his mother's coldly spoken statement held more than disapproval of his relationship. And he was beginning to realise that that _more _was not irrational of her.

''We are Lightwoods, Alexander,'' Maryse said. ''We are capable. We are independent. We can do what we want, even if your preferences are... well, different. Do what you like, Alec. But do not disregard the pride that we have as a family.''

''But if Magnus can help save our lives,'' he said in a strangled voice, ''Isn't that worth it?''

Maryse's frosty look deepened. ''Perhaps. As a last resort. But for you, it seems to be the first thing you think of whenever we face trouble. When someone gets hurt. When Jace was missing. All of those times. And that is not right, Alexander.''

Alec knew that a part of Maryse disliked receiving help from Magnus because she disliked the warlock himself and what he represented to Alec. But as for the other part...

He was always the oldest among his siblings. He had responsibilities that were slightly heavier compared to the others; it was to protect them. And he had always taken those responsibilities seriously, staking everything he had in taking care of Jace and Isabelle and Max... Not that it had always been good enough. His young brother's passing only signified that.

But when since had it all changed?

With Magnus around he certainly wasn't the oldest anymore. He felt young and naive around the confident immortal sometimes, certainly not a leader. But he didn't hate the feeling. It felt nice, actually, to be younger and to be able to rely on someone else.

Had he abused that?

_Simon rolled his eyes. ''It's a good thing we know the person who's dating Magnus Bane,'' he said. ''Otherwise I get the feeling we'd just lie around all the time wondering what the hell to do next. Or try to raise the money to hire him by selling lemonade or something.'' _

_Alec looked merely irritated by the comment. ''The only way you could raise enough money to hire Magnus by selling lemonade is if you put meth in it.''_

By the Angel. Had he been taking Magnus for granted all along?

* * *

Magnus Bane hummed under his breath as he sashayed down the rickety stairs of his apartment. His hair was done up in its usual elegant ink spikes, sophisticated cat eyes smudged with black eyeliner. He was dressed in his customary rainbow leather pants and a purple silk blazer with a billowy satin white shirt beneath. For once he had left his lips bare of any wild lipstick or lip gloss, but he was still dressed in an alarmingly flamboyant fashion.

''Now, now, Chairman Meow,'' he reprimanded the ashen tabby whining lightly at his side. ''What did I teach you about patience?''

The cat's tail lashed angrily.

''And clearly I make a poor teacher,'' he murmured. ''Fine then, you annoying little being.''

The warlock swirled his black-nailed fingers in the air, sparks spinning, and lazily tossed a few animal crackers from seemingly nowhere onto the floor. Particularly cat-shaped crackers.

The cat devoured it all, whiskers quivering excitedly.

''You cannibal, you,'' Magnus observed. ''And you just had your lunch earlier too.''

The man suddenly stiffened when he felt his phone vibrate in his blazer pocket, emitting the ringtone of what Isabelle would have called wail-y music. Picking it up with two slender silver-ringed fingers, his gaze lit up at the sight of the screen's caller ID- 'Darling'.

Magnus was still working on the contact name. Some days he would list it as 'Sweetheart'. On others it would be listed as 'My Love'. Today, however, was 'Darling'.

''Sweetling!'' He purred into the phone as he glided over to the couch. The tabby followed behind, having finished the cat crackers and clearly wanting more. ''How are things?''

''Magnus.'' Alec's voice sounded weary and tired through the speakers, although the warlock was sure he had slept well last night. ''What did I say about those names?''

''Those are endearments!''

''No,'' said Alex flatly. ''Anyway, it turns out Izzy is fine. It's just, well, a normal fever." Magnus immediately knew that Alex had initially thought she had been attacked by a demon or something. "But that also means I can't come back tonight.''

''Why not?'' Magnus demanded petulantly, one hand running agitatedly through Chairman Meow's ears. ''Just ask Samuel to accompany her!''

''It's Simon.''

Magnus ignored that. ''I was going to make pancakes tonight too.''

''People normally eat pancakes for breakfast, not dinner, Magnus.''

''That's the real reason why you're not coming home tonight, isn't it? Admit it! It's not like you don't know Stephan will take care of her.''

''Steph- _Simon_'s not our family!'' Alec snapped abruptly, frustration clear in his tone. The change in his mood was so sudden that Magnus raised an eyebrow. ''We don't always need his help!''

A short pause followed his angry words. Then he spoke again, voice dropping back to its initial tired timbre. ''Look, I'm sorry, Magnus. I'm just worried about Izzy, that's all.''

''Hmm.'' Magnus's piercing cat eyes narrowed beneath the dark eyeliner. ''Is there something going on that I should know about?''

''It's nothing. Like you said earlier, Izzy rarely ever gets sick,'' Alec answered quickly. ''I guess I'm more worried than I thought. Besides, I am _not_ leaving Simon and Izzy together alone for a whole night. Fever or not, things happen. By the Angel, her fever could even _encourage_ those things.''

He was beginning to sound genuinely alarmed.

Magnus grinned. ''You do know you'll have to pay me back soon if you don't come home tonight, don't you?''

From a distance his sharp ears could vaguely hear Alec gulp, and that abashed sound only widened the Cheshire smile on his face.

''Honestly, Mag-''

''With those things,'' Magnus continued, his emerald-gold pupils gleaming. ''Those very things you were talking about.''

He didn't need to see Alec to know that his lover was currently red in the face, flushing characteristically. It was all so delicious.

''I'm hanging up, Magnus,'' Alec stuttered, and Magnus could make out a noisy fumble of fingers before the line went dead. The warlock smiled tenderly at his now blank phone screen, his other hand still patting Chairman Meow's small furry head.

''Love you too, darling.''

* * *

Alec?''

The distant sounds of his sister calling him caught his attention and he quickly stuffed his phone back into his pocket, trying to slow the mad pacing of his heart.

The boy turned and headed hastily into the wing from where he originally stood by the door. Izzy was sitting up in the bed, clutching her icepack to her head and eyeing him drowsily. Her face was slightly paler than usual and her long black curtain of hair somewhat disheveled. Otherwise, she looked her usual self. Still beautiful, still confident.

Illness couldn't strip away Isabelle Lightwood.

''What's wrong?'' She asked, voice a little hoarse, as he came nearer. ''You're blushing, you know.''

''It's nothing,'' he said immediately, feeling his cheeks burn ever more. Traitor.

Isabelle, even while she was sick and even while she was sleepy, got it. ''It's Magnus, isn't it?''

Alec hesitated. Trying to lie to Isabelle was like trying to lie to himself- it didn't work. She had seen the better parts of him, the worst parts of him; she had known he was gay for about as long as he himself had. And she had loved him anyway. He had always been insecure for all his life, but the fact remained that there was always one person to confide in- his sister, who was closer to him than Jace, his paratabai, closer than his own mother and closer than Magnus.

''I-'' He blurted, ''Do you- do you think I'm very needy?''

''Needy?'' Isabelle echoed disbelievingly, adjusting her ice pack. Her fever had died down an hour ago, and she was grateful for that. ''No, Alec, I do not think you are needy. In fact, you are the last person in the world that I would call needy. You've always been there for us, always been there to take-''

Alec stared at her. ''I meant with Magnus.''

Izzy blinked. ''Oh.'' Then she hesitated, maybe for only a split second- but it was enough. Enough to convince him of the answer he had wanted to know. Or rather, what he now didn't.

He sank abruptly onto a nearby chair, dropping his dark head into his arms. ''I'm,'' he said vehemently to his thighs, forcing the word out as if it was poison, _''needy.''_

''Hey!'' said Isabelle sharply. ''Don't go around putting words in my mouth! That's not what I said, okay?''

''You didn't need to.'' His voice was muffled, but his bitterness leaked out as freely as water.

''No, Alec,'' Isabelle said, gazing sadly at her anguished brother. She lowered her ice pack. ''You are not needy. Not even with Magnus. Because that's not called needy, okay?''

He looked up, and she scanned into the tired blue eyes, the white face and the disheveled dark locks. Somehow she wondered who was the current patient, him or her. ''Yeah,'' he said angrily, ''There are other words like clingy, helpless, _irritating-''_

''No!'' she said fiercely, ''Do you even know what lovers are, Alec? They are people who love each other. They are people who want each other. People who _need_ each other. That's what it's supposed to be, with Clary and Jace, with Luke and Jocelyn- _Jace,_ who has never wavered from a fight, never feared anything-''

''Jace has a life about as long as Clary's, Izzy,'' Alec cut her off tiredly. ''His traits, his dreams, his life... They're all there for Clary to see and share. Same for him with her. And they're going to share this all the way to the end. For me, I feel like I'm constantly sharing and _sharing_ and just pouring my soul into Magnus- in the end, I'm not even myself anymore.'' His voice dropped to a hollow whisper. ''And after I die, Magnus will just walk on without me.''

She slid her hand softly in his, coolness against coolness. He stared at their hands without truly seeing them.

''Do you know what Mum said to me?'' Alec asked bitterly. Everything was escaping his mouth like water gushing out of a dam, all the insecurities in his life and all his fears flowing out. ''She said I don't even rely on myself anymore, that I'm always asking for his help. And she's right. I always need his help. I always need him. In fact, I need him more than he needs me. If you think about it- does he even need me at all? I barely even know him, or what he's done for the past few centuries before I met him, or his secrets.'' He ground out the last statement with a vengeance she didn't recognize. Not in the calm and gentle Alec she knew. _''But_ I _still need him.''_

''You know he loves you,'' she added gently.

''Sometimes,'' Alec said grimly, ''Love isn't enough.''

* * *

**Hi! I'm newly obsessed with this pairing. It's currently one of my OTPs -yeah I have a lot of them so they shouldn't even be called that anymore- and I love the way Clare Cassandra portrays them and writes. And their angst- it's just so... omg-ish. It makes me wanna cry, really. Cause they're perfect. Anyway this is kinda set after City of Lost Souls, only alec didn't go and meet Camille so they didn't break up over that. **

**I don't own Mortal Instruments, or the two paragraphs I took from them. They're taken from City of Lost Souls, if I'm not wrong. **

**Anyway. Will someone give me Godfrey Gao as a birthday present already!**


	2. Chapter 2

He hadn't been home for two nights already.

Magnus twirled his empty teacup irritably around its saucer in a theatrical flourish, and as azure sparks spun about, the porcelain cup abruptly filled with steaming fresh Earl Grey Tea. Hot air instantly curled above the brim of the cup.

Silly, annoying Alec.

What was going on now in that pretty little blue-eyed head? Magnus only wished he knew. When Alec didn't come back for the first night, he hadn't suspected anything amiss, having expected it. But when Magnus had tried to contact the shadowhunter the next day, not once did he manage to get his phone call picked up. All he had received was a stupid text message:

_Izzy still not recovering. Sorry I missed your calls. Will get back to you once I'm sure she's okay._

Alec was a fool if he thought Magnus was going to buy that. If said scenario was truly the case, Alec would have called him back straightaway or had answered his calls in the first place. There was definitely something more to it.

And when he hadn't returned for the second night, Magnus was livid. Never once in recent months had his boyfriend been away for more than one night! He had almost wanted to storm over to the Institute, but years of experience dissuaded him. It was not wise for a warlock, not even the High Warlock of Brooklyn, to go to a shadowhunter's place of residence unless invited. And while he had been invited plenty of times, and was currently a well-known acquaintance of the new generation of Shadowhunters, it was still best not to.

Needless to say, Magnus Bane was in a foul mood.

His client peered deliberately at him from where she was seated opposite the oak table, her dainty fingers curled over the handle of her own teacup. She had chestnut brown locks that curled delicately around her straight forehead, almost like a halo. ''You're not listening at all, are you?''

''Of course I am,'' said Magnus lazily. ''You were giving fascinatingly vivid details about your life back then with your husband before you died last year.''

Like him, his client was a downworlder. Not a warlock, but rather a vampire.

He knew vampires well.

The woman sniffled haughtily, her sea-green eyes fluttering beneath perfect lashes. Her petal lips curled disdainfully. In many ways, she reminded him of Camille- with her serene but arrogantly confident inclinations, and with her ethereal beauty. Many vampires were physical beautiful, but their temperament did not always bring out that beauty. Camille, however, had a certain way with her that enhanced her beauty, but it was not kindness as most humans would think. In fact, it was her terrible cruelty and her selfishness towards the world, yet coupled with manipulative gentleness that seemed to bring out that unreal allure about her.

It was a pitifully sad beauty, but it was beauty all the same.

''Yes, well,'' said the vampiress, ''Now I need you to track him down.''

Magnus raised his eyebrow, making the blue glitter around his eyelid more prominent. ''And why is that?''

The woman gave him another haughty look with a hint of something else in it, and he immediately recognized her expression -the look on people who had had something taken from them, and now they wanted it back. ''He moved away shortly after I died,'' she said irritably, ''along with the life insurance he got from my death.''

''Not that it's any of my business,'' Magnus replied thoughtfully, ''But why shouldn't he?''

The client shot him a scathing look. ''It's mine. It's my money. And I want it back. Not to mention the way he's taken my death- it's like I never existed in his life at all-''

''Clearly you did,'' Magnus pointed out dryly. Chairman Meow curled itself comfortably next to his owner, or rather- the leg of the chair Magnus had draped his rangy form on. ''Or he wouldn't be having your insurance now, would he?''

''I didn't come here for an argument about morality, Magnus Bane,'' the woman snapped, green eyes flashing like emerald electricity. Her voice poured smoothly. ''I know you. You'll do anything that you're hired to do, whether it's right or wrong. A tracking spell is hardly too difficult for the High Warlock of Brooklyn.''

''That's true,'' murmured Magnus absently, long dark-nailed fingers stroking Chairman Meow's back. ''I don't run charity cases, though.''

''I never said I wouldn't pay you.''

''Ah.''

''So when can you start?''

Magnus looked at her beautiful, expectant features. And then he thought of Alec; Alec, who had allowed himself to be poisoned by a demon so as to protect Clary, the girl he had once been so insanely jealous of; Alec, his blue eyes wretched with tears when Max had died; Alec, who had rushed back home when he found out that Isabelle had been ill.

It was such vulnerable selfless beauty that made Camille's and this woman's dim.

He stood up, making Chairman Meow hiss indignantly at the sudden motion. The vampiress stared.

''I'm sorry,'' Magnus apologized pointedly, ''but I'm afraid I'll have to refuse you. You see, I happen to have personal matters to take care of right now. It's rather unfortunate, because I usually don't ever refuse business, but there it is.''

* * *

''You're avoiding him,'' Isabelle said flatly, putting down the remains of her croissant. From beside her, Simon stared at the pair curiously with dark brown eyes. She picked up her coffee cup. ''You're avoiding Magnus.''

Alec looked annoyed. ''I'm not-''

''Then tell me,'' said Isabelle, her voice thick as she swallowed coffee, ''why you're still here when I'm clearly fine now.''

''This is my home,'' Alec defended himself, his fingers stirring restlessly on the glass table, ''Why shouldn't I be here?''

''I thought you moved in to Magnus's place a long time ago,'' Simon said simply.

Alec threw him a dirty look. ''That doesn't mean I can't be here.''

Simon was never one to start a fight, so he simply picked up his croissant and ate it for the sake of eating. ''That's true.''

''Simon-'' Isabelle said exasperatedly. She slammed her coffee cup down onto the table, making the other two jump. They were currently in the study room of the Institute, eating breakfast. Maryse was nowhere in sight, having left for the Clave. ''Alec, stop being such a coward and just call Magnus back already!''

Alec looked stung. ''Don't call me-''

''But you are one!'' Isabelle said furiously, long hair spinning like her whip. Simon, sensing the fight that was to come, hastily ducked his head. ''Instead of facing your problems and your fears, you just choose to keep hiding-''

''I'm not hiding!'' Alec snapped. His blue eyes flashed, the colour of a storm, and the bones of his face seemed to be thinner and paler than ever.

''But you are! Simon, tell him-''

''I'm not going to tell him anything,'' said Simon. The other two stared. ''Alec can do what he wants. If this is what he wants to do, then fine with me.''

Alec's expression was a mix of incredulity, guilt and relief. ''Thanks... I guess?''

Simon shrugged uncomfortably.

Isabelle let out a long sigh, the wound-up anger leaving her frame steadily. It could have been the opposite, Alec thought. She could had gotten angrier and lashed out at Simon instead. But she hadn't. ''I'm just trying to help you, Alexander,'' she said, ''because I don't agree with what you're doing about your relationship with Magnus. Just how long do you actually intend to stay put here?''

That was a good question, indeed. Until they were dragged out for a mission? Until reality hit him hard? ''I don't know, Izzy.'' The boy stared at his plate, his gaze troubled. ''I really don't know.''

* * *

Simon breathed into the cold frosty air of autumn, watching almost detachedly the people walking by along the crowded streets. It never failed to amaze him, even today, that these people were casually walking past the gates of the Institute as if nothing special was there. Because there was something special. The building was old, ancient; there was even word that this was the first building constructed in New York. The fact that a long time ago, he would be acting the same way as every mundane right now... It perturbed him.

Which was better? To lead a more peaceful but ignorant life, or to be in a state where he was not alive, but not exactly dead either? A half-life where he needed different... sustenance from most people?

He didn't know.

Sighing, Simon headed back home, his dark brown hair ruffled by the breeze. With Alec in the Institute he could take care of Isabelle, and besides, the female shadowhunter was tough. She was a fast healer. Falling sick hadn't exactly been her thing in the first place. He wasn't too worried.

Fishing out his key, he strolled along the hallway corridors leading to his apartment. Jordan was hardly at home now, having resumed his status as Maia's boyfriend. He was out with her almost all the time these days. It was interesting, he thought, at how quickly the dark hatred from Maia's side could dissolve back into love for Jordan, like all those years of anger and vengeance towards him were gone. He thought of Jace, who had hated Valentine, and in some way, deeply loved him too.

The lines between the two emotions were far more blurred than he could ever expect.

Simon pushed the key into the lock on his door, suddenly feeling very tired. Life was sometimes too confusing and too hectic for him to comprehend. There were times when he wondered how different things would be for him if he hadn't first followed Clary into that pub months ago. He would be at home now, with a mother who still accepted and loved him, and half the time he would definitely still be in love with Clary- wondering why she had become so distant, why he hardly saw her, not ever knowing that there was a completely different world to the one he knew.

_No_, he decided. _The alternative to this is still worse._

Simon stepped into the unexpected brightness of his apartment, felling a little annoyed at Jordan, who must had forgotten to turn off the lights before he had left. Too eager for his date with Maia, he'd expect. He tossed his keys onto the counter with a metallic clink, nose wrinkling at the slight smell of spicy smoke, and turned-

And yelled out loud.

Magnus Bane sat calmly on Simon's couch, dressed in long shimmering blue-and-silver robes, his heavily eye-lined cat eyes gleaming in the room. Glitter shone like lavender stars at each side of his gorgeous gold-green eyes. In one slender, heavily ringed, black-nailed hand held a long thin pipe, where blue smoke was curling elegantly from in circles. Earrings hung lightly from his ears. His midnight hair was, for once, not done up in spikes but let down into a regally languid look.

''Hello, Solomon,'' said Magnus, not at all fazed by Simon's yell. ''What a dull place you have here.''

He was right about that though, Simon noted dazedly. Sitting against the dark wallpapers of his apartment, Magnus looked like a vibrant, colourful smear.

''It's Simon,'' he replied wearily. ''You might want to remember that.''

''I might,'' Magnus agreed mildly. ''So- what brings you here?''

Simon blinked incredulously, dark eyes wide. ''What brings _me_ here? This is _my_ apartment. I should be asking _you_ that question!''

''But you didn't,'' the warlock said, taking a bored puff at his pipe. ''So I figured someone had to ask.''

Simon groaned quietly. Sometimes he wondered what serious, quiet Alec saw in Magnus Bane. He really did.

The vampire went over to the couch where Magnus was sitting, and dropped himself reluctantly beside the warlock, back hitting the old, tattered material comfortably. _Why_? Why did he, of all people, have to face the one thing Alec was hiding from?

''First of all,'' said Simon, ''please take out that pipe. I don't really like smoke, and I don't think Jordan's gonna be too happy when he gets back either.''

Magnus shrugged, and with a lofty swipe of his long fingers, the pipe was gone in a flurry of blue sparks. It was as if it had never been there. Even the lingering scent of smoke was gone. The warlock turned to Simon.

''We need to talk, Daylighter.''

Simon sighed. ''I figured. This is about Alec, isn't it? Well, let's start.''

Magnus blinked. ''You're not very tactful, are you?''

''I like to call it 'straight to the point','' Simon said.

Magnus smiled, a tiny smile that curled the corner of his lips. ''Alec is like that too, I suppose.''

''Hey, hey,'' Simon said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. ''I don't think you came here just to talk mush about your boyfriend, right?''

Magnus looked at him. ''No,'' he said, breathing deeply as he whirled his ringed fingers absently, faint blue sparks buzzing. Simon subconsciously hoped the warlock wasn't going to transform him into a rat. Anything was fine but a rat. ''No, I didn't. Tell me, how is Miss Lightwood? I recently heard that she was not her usual robust self.''

''She wasn't,'' Simon said awkwardly, knowing where everything was going, and not liking it, ''but she's getting better now-''

''Now?'' Magnus raised his dark brows. ''Or was she already better yesterday?''

Simon took a deep breath. He had always known Magnus to be sharp, but still... ''Look, I know where this is going, okay?'' He said. ''Izzy is fine- Alec, well-''

Magnus smiled amicably, his teeth showing. ''Yes?''

''I think -and don't take too much from it, it's just what I think- that after his mum said some stuff to him, he kinda got affected,'' Simon said cautiously, ''She was pretty harsh with him that day, I heard. Izzy tried to talk some sense into him, but he was still pretty miserable. So now- maybe he's just looking for some space to chill-''

Magnus's cat eyes were narrowed into crescents. ''What did Maryse say to him?''

''I don't know,'' said Simon, his thin hands fidgeting. ''I wasn't there.''

There was a pause. Then-

''Do you agree with this?'' It was a casual question from the warlock, and as usual Simon could not tell what Magnus was thinking. As jovial and cheery as the warlock could be, he was also the most mysterious person he had ever seen.

''Agree with-?''

''With what Alec is doing. Hiding. Avoiding me.''

''Gee, I didn't know you actually cared about my opinion.'' And he didn't, too.

''It's interesting to hear someone else's output, even if it's yours.''

Simon chose to ignore the last jibe. ''Well... I dunno. I'm not one for fighting, or quarreling, you know. If hiding in some cave means none of that, then maybe it's not so bad. But at the same time... Well, it's kind of- cowardly?'' He regretted the last word as soon as it passed his lips. Yet the image of Isabelle's furious expression wasn't easy to wipe off.

''Running away from your problems doesn't solve anything,'' said Magnus, staring at a spot Simon couldn't see. There were a lot of things, Simon suspected, that Magnus could see that he couldn't. And not physically. ''But for Alec- he's a sensitive, innocent boy, especially for a shadowhunter- a Lightwood. The poor child. I can only guess what his mother said to him.''

Simon flinched at the raw tenderness in Magnus's tone. Even though Alec wasn't here, he felt like he was intruding into something private. Which was ridiculous, since Magnus was the one who had broken into his house.

''Oh well,'' the warlock suddenly said briskly, snapping back into reality as if on cue. He waved a slim dark hand at Simon, black nails glinting. ''I suppose I had better go. I'm not interested in becoming your next feeding, after all.''

''Hey,'' Simon was offended. ''Trust me, I wouldn't even if I was forced to, no way! I'd probably choke on all that glitter.''

''I'll take that as a compliment,'' Magnus drawled, unfurling himself from the couch like a stealthy cat. His robes flowed silkily.

''What are you going to do about Alec?'' Simon demanded, not being able to overcome his curiosity.

''Hmm,'' said Magnus noncommittally, ''Who knows? Stay tuned, Simon.'' He paused. ''Or is it Solomon? It's Solomon, isn't it? Finally. Well, don't accuse me of forgetting your name next time.''

With a flourish of his hand and a dramatic whirl of his robes, he was gone. Like his pipe and the smoke, it was as if he had never been there in the first place.

* * *

The two figures stood in the darkness of the murky passage, staring heavily at each other beneath black forbidding hoods and cloaks. The mild stench of mud and cigarettes wafted through the air like an ugly veil. If they were affected by their foul surroundings, the pair showed no sign.

One figure finally reached up and pushed back its hood, only to reveal chestnut curls and a pair of intelligent green eyes and petal lips.

''He refused me,'' said Magnus Bane's ex-client.

''What?'' The other figure spoke, and the surprise in his tone was tremendous. His voice flowed like crushed rough velvet, charismatically smooth but with edges that could never be wiped out.

''He refused me,'' the vampiress repeated coolly, patiently.

''Well, well,'' said the other figure. ''Things have changed.''

The woman looked irritated. ''I want my husband tracked down, you know,'' she pointed out sharply. ''I still want my revenge-''

''And I want my revenge against Magnus,'' interrupted the other figure. ''If you had succeeded in such a simple task this morning we would have had both by now, wouldn't we?''

The woman's eyes were like gleaming green shards of jagged glass in the darkness. ''Are you blaming me?''

''No,'' the other figure said smoothly. ''There are still chances. Magnus is the only warlock powerful enough around Brooklyn to help you- and we will use him through any way possible.''

The female breathed, and in that single intake of breath held cold hope and greed and cunningness. ''How?''

''Do you know of his new lover?''

''A child of the Nephilim, a mortal,'' said the woman dismissively. ''He is nothing, or in any case- he will be nothing in a few decades-''

''He is everything in Magnus's eyes. And- Magnus Bane is everything in his eyes.''

''What of it?''

''Use it to your advantage. You know how, you were once human. Hurt the mortal boy- wound him, destroy him, with only the ways you know.''

''And then-''

''And then we will have Magnus.''

* * *

**I'm not gonna lie. I had no idea how to write Simon. To me he's the most random character in the Mortal Instruments saga, and I have no idea how to write random people. Sure, he did tons of stuff in the books- but I've never taken him seriously. Like, Clary left him for jace, so Clare Cassandra didn't know what to do so she stuffed the leftovers -him- with the only girl that was single- Isabelle. That's what Isabelle/Simon feels like to me. Honestly, this may seem like I'm bashing Simon, and maybe I am, but I'm not asking people to share my opinion. That's not my point. I'm just trying to explain why I may have written him in an ooc way. Because I honestly don't know his personality except _random._**

**Anyway. Thank u to all those who reviewed- I hope you will do so again! Love you all.**


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